Contra Costa College
2600 Mission Bell Drive
San Pablo, CA 94806
College Council Minutes
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
2:30 p.m., CTC-112 CTC Bldg.
Present:
Faculty: Wayne Organ, Vern Cromartie, Seti Sidharta, Wendy Williams
Classified: Kelly Ramos, Shondra West
Management: Michael Aldaco, James Eyestone, Donna Floyd, Mariles Magalong, McKinley Williams
Students: Albert Ambris, Rodney Wilson
Guests: James Eyestone, Rose Orpilla, Jennifer Ounjian, Kenyetta Tribble, Carol Maga via phone
Absent: Alma Cardenas, David Houston
1.
Call to Order: Meeting called to order at 2:34 p.m. by Wayne Organ.
Presentation of Classified of the Semester – President McKinley Williams made the presentation of
Classified of the Semester to Rose Orpilla for her exemplary work during her tenure at CCC. Rose was
present to accept the award. The council expressed their joy for Rose’s new position at the district but
also expressed our sadness for our loss.
CONSENT AGENDA – ACTION ITEMS
2.
Approval of Agenda: Mack made a motion to approve the agenda and Seti seconded the motion.
3.
Approval of Minutes from May 11, 2011: Mack made a motion to approve the minutes and
Michael seconded the motion.
ACTION ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA
NONCONSENT AGENDA – ACTION ITEMS
4.
Decision from R & P on Everyone Completing Annual Unit Plans Regardless of Seeking
Budget Augmentation – Jennifer Ounjian
Jennifer made the presentation of how the annual unit plans tie to the college’s goals and strategic
plans. The Research and Planning Committee met last semester and discussed the redundancy of
completing unit plans. They looked at the benefits of the annual review and the budget committee’s
benefit of reviewing the submitted rubrics. The R & P Committee felt the annual unit plans are an
integral part of our planning model and it would behoove us to maintain the process. How we decide
to use the annual unit plans may change in the future. Perhaps we may decide to only have only
those seeking budget augmentation complete an annual unit plan. Currently, every unit/department
needs to submit a unit plan regardless of requesting budget augmentation or not. Seti asked about the
consequences for not submitting annual unit plan. Jennifer replied there are no consequences.
Jennifer said we need to look at the annual plans and program review more frequently instead of
waiting until a self study is due or department/unit is in need of augmented funds. Mack said he
thinks it is appropriate to ramp up the consequences for those units/departments not submitting an
annual unit plan. Mack said we should make it a more formal process because of its importance and
because it is part of our integrated planning model. Wayne suggested the program review list the
years of the completed unit plans for that unit/department. Kenyetta suggested that we align the
annual unit plan with program review. Wendy said we need to have better meshing so everything
College Council Notes – September 14, 2011
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syncs together as there are different timelines for the various plans. Wendy said there should be more
accountability with the program review forms and that could be linked to annual unit plans. Mack
said best planning practices of our cycle should include yearly updates. Action plans should include
assessments.
Kelly motioned to suspend this topic and move to Item #8 as Carol Maga called in.
It was decided we want to maintain the unit plan and strengthen the process and review its
submission. Wayne suggested we send this item back to the Planning Committee in order to align the
unit plans with program review and strengthen the process. Jennifer said the Planning Committee is
in the process of aligning our processes and the district is in the process of aligning all of our plans so
that all three campuses are on the same timeline. Wendy said she thinks program review is mandated
for a five year cycle, not every four years. Jennifer will research the law and send it out to College
Council members. Wayne said after speaking with his colleagues, he realizes the nomenclature for
program review varies from college to college. This item will be continued at the next meeting on
October 12, 2011.
5.
Accreditation Mid-Term Report (vote to approve) – Carol Maga was present via phone.
Carol reported this report will be submitted to the October 12, 2011 governing board. This is the
mid-term report and our next accreditation visit will be October 2014. We have to do a follow-up
report on our SLO assessment progress next year in 2012. This report addresses the eight
recommendations from the commission – four recommendations for the college and four
recommendations for the district. Carol said we have done a good job but we still have a lot to do for
next year. Program reviews should include SLO’s, their assessments and action plans. Beginning
this Fall,75% of courses have assessed their SLO’s, 57% of programs assessed their SLO’s, and
100% of student services have been assessed. Carol said the Statewide Research and Planning
organization gave an award to the Culinary Arts and Speech departments for exemplary SLOs. All
courses and programs need to assess their SLO’s. We have updated our website and we regularly
evaluate our governance process. Carol said she thinks at this meeting we will be looking at the
governance survey results. Carol reviewed the district recommendations as well.
Vern asked if are we motioning to approve the draft or the final document? Carol said we are
approving the content barring any grammatical or minor edits. Donna asked when the document will
be ready for signatures? Carol replied by the end of September.
Wendy moved we accept the document with the possibility of minor changes as necessary. Rodney
seconded the motion. College Council voted to accept the Accreditation 2011 Mid-Term Report with
minor changes.
6.
Review of Governance Survey for Potential Modification in our Governance Process – Mack
addressed this topic. We surveyed all constituencies after the R & P traveling road show last
semester. Mack showed the survey results from the constituency groups. Wendy said we need to ask
specific questions in order to find out if the constituencies truly know our governance process, not ask
how aware of the process they are. Thirteen students responded to the student survey. It was ASU
students who completed the survey. Mack said we need to do some more work to educate students
and classified on our governance process. The accreditation commission said not all of our college
employees were aware of our governance process. It behooves us as a college for all constituencies
to know our governance process. We should be periodically reviewing our governance process.
College Council Notes – September 14, 2011
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Wendy said Tim Clow gave a wonderful presentation last semester and posted it on the website.
Wendy said another question on the survey should be: is our procedure and processes working?
We will table this discussion and put it on the agenda for next month, allowing 30 minutes for
discussion. Wendy showed the ACCJC rubric for evaluating the governance structure. Wayne asked
for the link from Wendy and she will send it out to Council members.
7.
Update on Planning Process – Jennifer distributed a one page document of our planning projects.
Strategic Plan updates will be reviewed by the Planning Committee tomorrow.
8.
Establish Plan for Assessing Core Values – 10 minutes – Mack said we need to skip this topic as
we were not aware that Wendy was working on this before placing it on the College Council agenda.
9. Martin Padilla Sculpture – Dedication Ceremony – Mack addressed the Council and said the
sculpture is completed and mounted on the pedestal. We had originally planned to hold a dedication
ceremony in January 2012 but we have decided to have the ceremony this month so we may uncover
the sculpture. We are looking at September 29th from 12:00 noon to 12:30 p.m. Wayne put the
motion forward to hold Martin’s dedication ceremony on September 29th at 12:00 noon and Kelly
seconded it.
INFORMATION/DISCUSSION
10. Achievement Gap Update – Michael established fixed meetings on the third Wednesday of each
month. The committee’s focus will be data driven and includes teaching and learning, increasing
advising/counseling to student, and orientation for new students to the campus. Michael distributed
the detail of our five benchmarks: Active and Collaborative Learning; Student Effort; Academic
Challenge; Student-Faculty Interaction; and Support for Learners. West Ed has trained trainers for
Reading Apprenticeship and Ellen Smith is a trainer on our campus. On Friday, September 30th from
9 to 12:00 noon, Ellen will train faculty on teaching students how to read effectively. This is brief
teaser session as it takes many hours to learn Reading Apprenticeship. Rick Ramos is the lead person
in the teaching/learning area. Dionne Perez is taking the lead to form a peer counseling/advising
core. We are also looking at faculty advising. The Committee is also looking at robust first year
experience program for new students. We will invite campus employees to join discussions in order
to infiltrate the district’s recommendations.
Wayne said he has talked to his other two colleagues and we are way ahead on the achievement gap
issue. Michael said the committee would like to implement a survey tool to our students but there is a
cost involved. Mack’s said his only trepidation would be the additional dollars needed to sustain the
survey. It is $8,000.00 every two years. Mack recommends we perform a survey internally. Mack
reminded Michael that we have a research department at the district. Michael said the committee’s
idea would be to survey our students every other year. Rodney said the paid survey is worth it.
Wendy asked how do we make the students take the survey? Michael said there is a protocol and
students may be randomly selected.
Time expanded another 5 minutes.
Donna asked if we need to provide data before we survey students. No, we don’t. Jennifer said this
is the year we need to complete our student satisfaction survey and we could incorporate those
questions in the student satisfaction survey and follow up every two years. Jennifer said the student
satisfaction surveys are completed in the classroom. Kelly said the achievement gap is a sensitive
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subject and having a survey from an outside party may solicit more candid responses. Michael said
the survey questions are not a student satisfaction survey but a different focus of what the student is
learning or not learning in the classroom. Jennifer said our student survey does not just measure
satisfaction. Seti said student complaints she hears are the library is not open enough, no copy center
on campus, not enough classes, etc.
Time expanded another 5 minutes.
Wendy said we have a lot of talent on campus and we could develop a survey. We have the talent to
do the statistical analysis and recommendations with student input. Rodney said we should reserve
judgment until we read the survey. Mack again said it seems to him that we are after the results and
how we obtain those results could be done from an internal survey. We have a half million dollars in
research salaries at the district office and it seems we could design a survey would be a model for the
district. That survey could assess any items we want to include in the survey. And if the survey
doesn’t meet our needs, then we look at outsourcing. Vern concurred with Mack’s sentiments and
said we have a lot of talent on campus. He asked if the questions are copyrighted. Michael
responded affirmatively.
Time extended another 5 minutes.
Wendy said she did a survey of students a while back trying to figure out why students dropped her
classes. Wayne asked if we could read the survey that Rodney read.
Michael said we have a tendency to want to learn about our students and learn why they have under
perform. He recognizes the issue about the money but also realizes how busy the research team is at
the district office. He fears we will not be able to draft a survey in a timely manner.
Shondra said vendors target community colleges. Perhaps we could put together a think tank
ourselves to develop the survey and not leave it to the research department at the district. Donna said
there are aspects of students’ lives that we need to investigate.
Time extended another 2 minutes.
Jennifer suggested everyone look at the college’s satisfaction survey so that we may revise it to
include questions to help close the achievement gap.
This item will be on next month’s agenda.
11. Budget Update – Mariles said last year we ended with a positive carryover which means we did not
overspend any of our budgets. She congratulated the college for being fiscally prudent.
Aside from that, we received some growth monies and our district assessment turned out to be lower
than originally anticipated. This good news left us with over four million dollar in reserves which
positions us well because we have many liabilities we have to pay next year. The traveling road show
addresses those liabilities. The details of the 2011-12 budget are on the website and will be
addressed at the governing board meeting tonight. The district has 31 million in reserves and four
million of that is ours.
College Council Notes – September 14, 2011
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12. Remodel and Other Measure A Activities – Donna reported we have 13 additional smart
classrooms they will all be completed this month. Music building is currently being renovated and
the parking lot adjacent to the Music Building is closed off. The Music Buildings is scheduled to be
completed at end of next semester and we should be able to schedule summer classes in 2012 in that
building.
Underground cabling that will occur this month. This will impact traffic on El Portal Drive to the SA
Building. Parking spaces against the fence will be blocked off.
The College Center is the largest project to begin construction soon as that building will hold student
life, culinary, a fireside room, and bookstore. Demolition to the current SA and Humanities
buildings will occur soon. The Bookstore, ASU, and Subway will be relocated on campus. A more
extensive report will be given in the traveling road show.
13. Reports from Constituency Groups- Management – no report.
Classified –Kelly announced Shondra as a new classified senate member and they will attend districtwide meeting tomorrow.
Faculty – Wayne said we have engaged counseling to make sure they are involved with instructional
faculty. Wayne has a weekly meeting with ASU students. We are bridging the gap between the
instructional faculty and student services.
Students – Rodney said they are still raising money to go to the November conference. BBQ fundraiser
scheduled for tomorrow. We are just over $2,000 and we need about $4,500. We leave November 17,
18, 19th. Rodney said the Insite Portal is creating technical barriers for students. It is a nightmare. It goes
down and students cannot access study guides. This should be placed on the next agenda. James said the
district is aware of technical problems. James said he would encourage students to send e-mails to district
personnel to let them know about the difficulties. James said the technological problems are occurring
with faculty as well as students.
Time extended another 2 minutes.
Mack asked if the problem rests with district. James said the Portal is under district’s control. There is a
legitimate reason for not being able to get into the Portal. Shondra said she tried to help Jenifer Crowell
using the Portal and the student’s name was misspelled. There is no way to immediately correct
misspelling of names. There is delay to correct this problem due to authorization rulings. Shondra said
the authority should be granted to admissions. Mack said this needs to be discussed in cabinet.
14. Announcements – Mack announced our CCC Comets Football team plays DVC on Saturday,
September 17th at 3:00 p.m.
15. Next Meeting - October 12, 2011.
16. Meeting Adjourned at 4:40 p.m. by Wayne Organ.
Respectfully submitted,
Melody Hanson, Senior Executive Assistant to the President
College Council Notes – September 14, 2011
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